Novr 13th 1765
Boston New England
To
Doctr John
Murray
& Capt Loggie
My Dear Brother
Since my last of the
7th August
I have been favoured with yours
23d July
to part of which that concerning Philip
[haugh?] , I had answered in a former Letter.
If he will not be bound by what he wroite
me I cannot help it. I will not sue him,
but look to the Lad himself who is settled
in partnership with -
in
Port
[Morantin?] the East end of Jamaica
you
may therfore protest the Bill and return
it to me.
You have the congratulations of this
Family on the Increaease of yours your
success in that way in some measure attones
for your Brothers and Sister who since they
have few or none of their own ought in
Conscience to assist in taking care of yours
I have frequently told you what elbow room
there is and will be for Centuries to come
in
America. give your Children a good I
do not mean a delicate, Education and trust
in Providence & your Friends for the rest.
You will have heard long before this
reaches you what a Spirit the Stamp Act
of power on the part of the Crown to check
it in these three great Towns, Boston, York,
Philadelphia, has gone very great Lengths
indeed: particularly at N. York. The mul-
titude among which are many men of
figure and fortune, imagine that such
proceedings will surely procure a Repeal
of the Act and prevent further Impositions
while a few, they call them the base few,
are silently of opinion that these late feats
feats will not only Rivet Rivet the Act
in question, but bring the Colonies under
a much stricter government than ever
they have yet felt. The Truth is, we are
the Children of a most indulgent Parent
who has never exerted her authority over us,
till we are grown almost to manhood and
believe act accordingly; but were I to say so here
before our Cheif Ruler the Mob, or any of
their adherents, I should presently have my
hous turned out of the windows inside out.
The Stamp Act so far from being a hurt to
the Colonies, which they pretend to be unable
to bear, will be a necessary Spur to their In-
dustry. the Difficulty will be to keep that
Industry from being employed on articles
that will not interfere with the mother
dependance of America to Britain as long
as may be : but in process of time, this
extensive fertile territory, cultivated as it
will be by millions of people healthy
& strong, must by the Nature of things
preponderate. our comfort is that period
seems to lie far beyond our day. enough
of politicks let us leave them to abler
heads. I told you in my Letter of July
that the late acts bore hard upon on the sugar
business these & the short Crops in
the West Indies have prevented the
Importation of raw sugars here and have
in course shut up the sugar houses and
ours among the rest. this loss is like soon
to be made up to me by the Demise of
my Wife's Mother who lies at the point
of death by this about 15:00 £ Ster will fall
to our share, the Interest of which will sup-
port us in the Silva &c I spoke of, for I
think it is time for me, all circumstances
considered to leave off Bustling for the
World. let me now give an account of your
connexions here. Mr & Mrs Smith are
well, I never saw him in better health.
Your Nephew Thos his Business increases
but not being in way to make a fortune
quickly & not being that man of Importance he was with you or might be in his own
Country, he is not quite satisfied with his
situation. for a Shop keeper here or Mer-
chant as he is called thinks a Mechanick,
tho better educated not fit Company. Dolly
stays at Brush hill, Anny Betsy & Jackey
Jacky here.
I desire you in my name
to thank my Nephew John for his Letter, tell
him from me, if from me if he has a mind to
be a Man of Consequence useful in his day
he must apply to his book but if he is content
to be a plowman or a Labourer, a very
mode-
rate share of Learning may suffice. Give
my Love to Brother Bennel I hope soon to
be able to make him a good Remittance.
my attornies in
North Carolina seeming unwil-
ling to make me a any Remittance or even
to write me a single Line since I came hither
I shall be under a Necessity to make ano-
ther trip thither as soon as affairs here will
permit. I am &c.